Process and apparatus for producing granulated cullet



Jan. 21,1930.

G. LUFKN '1,744,397

` PRcEss AND APPARATUS FOR PRQDUCING-Grmrwmvr151D4 CULLET Filed March 1751925 I! Il yg@ l 0 da@v Patented Jan. 2.1, 1930 .UNITED STATES PATENT' oFFioEv GARLANQLUEKIN, or AL'roN, ILLINoIs, AssIGNoR 'ro ILLIn-ors GLASS COMPANY, or

`AL TON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFFILLINOIS rnoonss ND APPARATUS Foa rRonUCINe enannmrnn Gunner Application tiled March 17, 1926. .Serial No. 95,358.

This invention pertains to a methodvand apparatus for handling glass, and more particularly for tapping a Vglass furnace.

In the usual glass-blowing establishment,

the glass is retained` in a molten-.condition in asuitable tank or` reservoir from 'which itis drawn as required. When the operation of the plant "is shut down for an reason, if

' the glass` inthe reservoir shoul be allowed to cool and become solid it would be necessary before resumingoperations Ito `remelt the same. As it is impractical to attempt to remelt such a solidified bed of glass in place,

it would be necessary to break the glass out of the tank by means of picks or the;like.v

' This is a very tedious and expensive operation. Y One of the objects of this invention,'therefor removing the molten glass from the tank when the plant is shut down, which will put the cullet into such condition that it can readily be remelted when operations are re; sumed. Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for transforming the moltenglass to granulated cullet. Q Further. objects will appear from the following'description taken in connection with the laccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure v1 is a view in elevation with parts in section of an apparatus for handling glass J- embodyingrthis invention and adapted for;

carrying outthe method thereof; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail partlyin seotion of the trough which receives thestream of molten glass; y

Figure 3 is a section on line `3=3 of Figure gand y I Figure L1 is an enlarged section'on line /1- -4 ofFigure 1.1 -f

In 'accordance with this invention the -molten glass is removed from :thel storage tank by permitting the same 'to flow. therefrom in a continuous stream. This stream is suitably guided. intona flowingstream of water. The contact between th glass and the water has the effect of sudde'. ,y chilling the glass which causes the vsame to solidify and at the same time vbreaks it .up into granu- Ynormal operation.

with a suitable orifice 2 having a plug 3A lated cullet. In the preferred embodiment, a jet of water is caused to impinge forcibly upon the flowing stream of molten glass. The effect .of such Contact s to solidify and comminute the glass to a cullt having the form of rock salt. This granulated cullet is then in a condition to be remelted 'in the ordinary Way. y f

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1

Vdesi nates the stora e tank or reservoir in whic the molten g ass is retained during This tank is provided adapted to close the same during normal opi'eration of the plant. Leading-from the oriice 2 is a trough or chute 4c 'adapted to deliver a stream of molten glass to a funnel or r gulde 5. This guide 'is' placed over an openv fore, is to provide a `method and apparatus."

ing 6 in a trough or conduit 7" laced therebelow. The conduit 7 exten s upwardlyfrom apoint below the guide 5 at a suitable angle and discharges into another chute 8 which is adapted to Convey the comminuted f l oullet to a suitable receiving car'9. A bal-lle .10 at the end .of the conduit 7 assists in controlling the discharge thereof.

Mounted in the lower end of the conduit 7 and adjacent the opening 6 is a nozzle 1l `which may be supplied with water under a suitable pressure by a hose 12 from any suit- The nozzle l1l is able source of supply. mounted so as to direct a'stream of Water along the conduit 7 An auxiliaryutrough 13 may be set `in the opening 6 and is provided with flared sides adapted to deflect any the nozzle 11 which is directed along the bottom of said trough'. The guide 5 may be mounted on a pivot 14 and provided with a suitable handle 15 `by which it may be swung to' one side when it is desired to'direct the glassaway from the conduit 7 yGr'uide flanges 16 may beprovided onone side of the funnel glass falling thereon toward the stream from so as to guide .the stream of-p'molten glass' clear of the conduit 7.

In the operation4 of this device the plug 3 may be removedY from the orifice 2 as 'shown' in Figure 1 so as to permit the molten glass to flow from said orifice down the chute 4 and into the funnel 5. This funnel guides the stream into the trough 13 where it impinges upon the jet of water flowing from the nozzle 11. The glass is thereby chilled and broken up into a granulated cullet which is carried by. the flowingstream of water upwardly along conduit 7 to be discharged into the chute 8 and thereby into the receiver 9. The receiver 9 may be a car as shown in Figure 1, or any other suitable receptacle, and is preferably provided with drain openings to permit the water to be drained therefrom while the cullet is retained; A suitable tank 17 may be provided to receive the water drained from the receptacle 9.`

If it should be desired to remove the glass from the tank without comminuting the same, the funnel 5 may be tipped on its pivot 14 as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4. When in this position the stream of glass will impinge upon the side of the funnel, flowing down between the guidesl to the floor underneath the furnaceyor to any other suitable place provided to receive the same.

It will be seen that in accordance with the method of this invention the glass is reduced to the condition of aA granulated cullet by a very simple process. The chilling effect of the contact between the molten glass and water acts not only to cause the glass to solidify', but also to cause the same to break up into small particles. These particles are at once caught up by the flowing stream of water in the conduit 7 and carried away to the receiver 9. The process is thus continuous and may be kept in operation until the tank 1 is entirely emptied of molten glass. The glass is not only comminuted but is actually delivered to a storage receiver where it may I be held until it is desired to remelt the same.

The water is drained from the cullet in the `receiver so as to render the same practically dry and ready for future operations. It will be seen also that the apparatus provided for carrying out this processis extremely simple and cheap to install and operate.,

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details of construction wit-hout departure from the spirit of this invention;

it is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: l

1. In the art of handling glassythe process comprising, reducing the glass to cullet by bringing the molten glass into Contact with a flowing stream of vwater and causing the water to carry and elevate the cullet so formed tol a higher level.

2. In the art of handling glass, the process comprising, directing a jet of water upwardly inclined and forcibly against a downwardly flowing stream of molten glass, thereby to granulateand elevate said glass.

3. In the art of handling glass, the process Lnace to produce granulated cullet comprising, means for guiding the glass stream flowing from the furnace, means for directing a l water stream .transversely of and Vinto the path of the glass stream and means for guiding the water stream in an upwardly inclined path to carry off and elevate the cullet to a higher level.

5. An apparatus for tapping a glass furnace to produce granulated cullet comprising, means for guiding the glass stream flowing from the furnace, an upwardly inclined conduit extending transversely of and positioned to receive and confine the glass stream at the lower end of said stream, and means for directing a water stream upwardly along said conduit to intersect the lass stream.

6. An apparatus for hand ing glass flowing from a molten source of supply, comprisin g, an upwardly inclined conduit, means for directing a water stream upwardly along said conduit, and means for directing the glassstream into the lower end of said conduit.

7. An apparatus for handling glass flowing from a molten source of supply comprising, an upwardly inclined pipe having an opening at its lower end, means for .directing a water stream upwardly along said pipe from below said opening, and means for directing the glass stream into the pipe opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature this lst day of March, 1926.

GARLAND LUFKIN. 

